Detailed independent analysis by an experienced Wellington engineer has provided financial evidence which shows that retaining the city’s trolley buses would be more economical than scrapping them, as the Greater Wellington Regional Council is intending.

The research was presented to regional councillors this week by Allan Neilson, a former senior electrical engineer with KiwiRail.

His analysis shows that the cost of scrapping the trolley buses will be about $34million. Whereas the cost of keeping them in operation would be only $15million.

The Wellington Regional Council doesn’t seem to have persuaded many people that getting rid of the city’s sixty trolley buses is a good idea. Especially when they’re to be replaced by more diesel buses. Which will be in city streets for ten more years as the promised all-electric bus fleet isn’t likely to arrive till 2025.

The regional council has strangely ignored the strong arguments in favour of keeping the trolleys. Notably from former KiwiRail electrical engineer Allan Neilson who gave councillors a detailed analysis about why it’s more affordable to keep them than to scrap them.

Disregarding his research, the regional councillors voted at a closed meeting to throw out the trolley buses. Only Sue Kedgley and Paul Bruce voted to keep them.

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It was, however, possible to ask Paul Swain how the policy of getting rid of electric trolley buses fitted the policy of having an all-electric bus fleet. And the equally relevant question: when would the all-electric buses be arriving? There was initial disbelief when he said it was likely to take ten years before the new fleet would be here. The reason: technology isn’t yet sufficiently advanced for electric buses to be chosen now. “If we could get electric buses earlier, we’d get them,” he said.

Asked how he planned to explain why the council, with its all-electric policy, was planning to drop electric trolley buses in favour of more diesel. “With great difficulty,” he replied.

“European cities are steadily converting back to trolleybus public transport“ was the message from Gunter Mackinger, at a public meeting Thursday 10th March. “Complete public transport systems cannot easily convert to fully battery operated systems, and there is a significant problem with battery life and consequential waste disposal!”

Mackinger, is an electric transport consultant and former GM of Salizburg Railways and now working with organizations such as the UITP (International Public Transport Organisation) and the German Government. He advocates trolleybuses and trams as an essential green emission investment in modern liveable cities.

Trolley bus supporters were delighted to hear of Mackinger’s support for trolleys and to be shown that trolleys were cost effective compared to battery buses and polluting diesel buses. Mackinger’s statements were backed up by studies at three independent German universities.

Mackinger gave examples of new trolley buses being purchased for Seattle, San Francisco, Mexico, and west European cities Salzburg, Linz, Luzern, Arnhem, Eberswalde and Bratislava. Turkey has now mandated trolley bus systems for its smaller cities under 10,000 inhabitants, and modern light rail in the bigger cities. Major Chinese cities such as Beijing, were ordering large numbers of new trolleys to replace diesel and its experimental battery buses. Shanghai is re-opening trolleybus lines after a recent closure decision, and Guangzhou is undertaking continuous network expansion.

Mackinger pointed out battery bus technology have proven to be impractical in the medium term future, except in very limited special applications. “The few systems which are using battery only buses are doing so in small numbers as a trial, on selected routes.”

However, we are very concerned at Greater Wellington Regional Council’s continued determination to trash Wellingtons clean green zero emission trolleybus fleet, which flies in the face of emerging international evidence of their value. There is a need for an urgent review of the GWRC business case. Extra polluting diesel buses will lead to 2000 tonnes extra of carbon dioxide per year, and a 20% increase in the small 2.5 microns particulates that lodge in respiratory tracts leading to cancers and asthma of people in the Golden Mile. Both result in future costs to the economy. Euro diesel standards don’t ensure the removal of the smallest and most dangerous exhaust particles. Nor do they bring lesser greenhouse gas emissions.

A new business case should concentrate on the east/west route which had a considerable amount of new overhead wiring, and include the cost of modifications to increase the reliability of the power supply network, as well as the installation of lithium ion batteries in the trolleybuses for off line capability. Aggregated costs of abandonment of clean green zero emission trolleys is estimated at about $34 million (of which $20 million is a charge to public entities), compared to a cost of $15 million for an upgrade of the entire network, and a further reduced figure for the east-west route.

300 cities around the world manage trolley bus networks successfully, so we are confident that Greater Wellington Regional Council could also find the governance and management capability to operate its system as well as other cities.

The Council’s Council aspirational target was for a low emission city, and Wellingtonians support retention of their electric buses and see them as a vital part of their low emission city.

“European cities are steadily converting bus routes to trolleybus public transport“ was the message from Gunter Mackinger at a recent public meeting in Wellington. “Complete public transport systems cannot easily convert to fully battery-operated systems, and there is a significant problem with battery life and consequential waste disposal.”

Mackinger, an electric transport consultant and former general manager of Salzburg Railways, works with organizations such as the UITP (International Public Transport Organisation) and the German Government. He advocates trolleybuses and light rail (trams) as an essential green emission investment in modern liveable cities.

This is of special interest to Wellingtonians who are working to rescue Wellington’s trolleys which is currently threatened. If successful, it would be the biggest setback for public transport since the light rail system was removed fifty years ago. Mackinger’s statements were backed up by studies at three independent German universities.

Mackinger gives examples of how Seattle, San Francisco, Mexico, and west European cities Salzburg, Linz, Luzern, Arnhem, Eberswalde and Bratislava are all purchasing new trolley buses.

Turkey has mandated trolley bus systems for smaller cities under 100,000 inhabitants, as well as modern light rail in the bigger cities. The Chinese Government has also mandated “all-electric” vehicles in major cities. Trolley buses are a part of the process and cities such as Beijing are replacing diesel and experimental battery buses with new trolleys. Guangzhou is undertaking trolleybus continuous network expansion. Shanghai, after deciding to remove trolleys, realised their error and are re-opening trolleybus lines.

Other electric transport modes fit well alongside trolleys – light rail, rapid transit, suburban rail, battery buses – sharing power supply infrastructure and facilities. Zurich, Lyon, San Francisco and Seattle use light rail as the ‘spine’ of their public transport systems, and then use trolleybuses for the heavy secondary routes. Battery bus systems are being developed for the shorter suburban feeder routes.

The NZ Bus intention to install Wrightspeed gas turbine-electric power generating sets into some trolleys and other buses in their nationwide fleet is commended as an initiative, but the technology has yet to prove itself in widespread bus fleet use. If the trials prove to be successful, we would urge NZ Bus to move rapidly onto converting diesel buses.

I call on NZ Bus to confirm that they will operate the Wrightspeed powertrain “fuel agnostic gas turbines” on CNG as this will help remove a major source of cancer-causing airborne diesel particles, including soot, and noxious gases which are dangerous to health. These diesel particles are associated with lung cancer and other lung disease, and contribute to heart disease and strokes.

Wellingtonians’ conversations on Lambton Quay and Willis Street can be compromised by the noise of diesel engines in close proximity” says Wellington architect, Chris Watson. “Quieter electric motors of are suitable for social networking on the golden mile, which speeds the flow of ideas in the capital.”

There are many technical aspects still to be explained if the story is not just a PR sham. Gas turbine generators generally emit more CO2 emissions than comparatively sized diesel engines, but emission savings can be achieved by having a smaller power turbine running against a constant load – the battery charging generator. I hope the vehicle design facilitates the turbine being stopped to allow battery-only operating through the centre of the city. Also we need to maximise the ‘plug-in’ charging opportunities from New Zealand’s renewable electricity network – this will be essential to achieve our greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The use of self-contained bus electric drives in Wellington will also depend on Greater Wellington Regional Council requiring hybrid electric and/or battery electric vehicles of its bus network as an outcome of its contractural framework, and being ready to meet the extra costs involved. Tender documents are to be approved on June 29th, with the decision on successful tenders expected sometime before the end of this year. Tender documents are expected to be based on the Public Transport Plan already approved, which included the removal of the existing trolley “all-electric” trolleybus fleet.

However, Oxford University Head of the Energy and Power Group – Professor Malcolm McCulloch – has looked at the Wellington trolleybus network and sees it as having excellent potential. He says that they are a valuable public asset and dismisses criticism of them as being subject to political interpretation as obsolete technology. His advice is to validate the alternatives (i.e. hybrids-electric and battery-electric), while continuing to operate the trolley buses. When reconfigured with modern (lithium ion) batteries, trolleys would be able to run longer distances “off line”, providing more flexibility. Automatic re-attachment devices would further minimise delays.

An urgent review of the GWRC business case is needed. A new business case should concentrate on the east/west route as a base case for trolleys, then explore add-on options, and include the cost of modifications to increase the reliability of the power supply network.

Wellington has big renewable electricity resources within its boundaries, and can easily aim for a 100% electric transport system, which is not only the smart choice, but an ethical one, because of the reduction of greenhouse emissions.

Victor Komarovsky of Generation Zero says that the worldwide transition to electric vehicles can only accelerate after the CoP21 Paris Climate commitments for reducing emissions. “Some of my friends don’t get driving licences and they refuse to own cars. It is more important to have information technology with constant internet connection. We want Wellington to become a clean, green city. Electric public transport is the only possible way to do this.”

300 cities around the world manage trolley bus networks successfully and there is no reason why Wellington should not re-emerge to operate its system as well as other cities.

The current fleet of 57 dual rear axle trolley buses, owned by NZBus, started work in 2007/2008 with new low floor chassis. So they have at least 10 to 15 years of service life remaining, and this is confirmed by NZ Bus’s decision to utilise some chassis for the Wrightspeed powertrain.

The trolleys have good capacity and would be ideal for the proposed Karori/Seatoun trunk route. Keeping the all-electric trolleys and the overhead wires on that route, at least, would be a step towards a fully “all-electric” fleet in the future. Battery buses can only be as good as trolleys in terms of CO2 elimination if there is frequent recharging at stops, not using fossil-fuelled ‘top-ups’. The trolleybus power supply could provide that – but that infrastructure is exactly what the GWRC has decided to remove.

New report says inaccurate information was used to replace trolley buses

The Greater Wellington Regional Council’s decision to convert bus fleets to diesel-electric hybrid vehicles as part of a staged programme to introducing fully electric vehicles, is likely to cause the Wellington City bus services to cost millions of dollars more than it needs to, a new study has concluded.

Michael Flinn, a former Wellington City Transport Deputy General Manager, has completed a review of GWRC’s decisions on Wellington City bus replacement because he considered the decisions have been based on information now found to be incorrect or insufficient.

He also reviewed many of the proposed route and service changes to be introduced next year and recommends significant changes to some of these. He considers that many proposed changes lack awareness of some practical factors that will affect patronage levels and fare revenue income.

The result is a 52-page report released today.

It concludes that GWRC’s decision to cease trolleybus operation in 2017 was made on inaccurate and incomplete information and should be reversed. Trolleybus operation should, it states, be continued to provide an affordable low pollution service until acceptable battery electric buses are available – possibly around 2020.

In the meantime, purchasing new diesel-electric hybrid vehicles should be deferredand older diesel buses replaced with modern lower polluting versions.

The report challenges two of the principal reasons originally advanced by the GWRC for scrapping the trolleybuses – that the trolleybuses had a 10 year operating contract and thus effectively reached the end of their working life, and that the overhead power network needed investment of more than $50 million to continue to operate effectively.

“The decision about the life expectancy of the trolleybuses appears to have been based on the fact that 10 years was used as the basis for a contract with the operator,” says Michael Flinn. “Trolley buses typically have a working life of 20 years or more.“

The use of some replacement parts in the Wellington trolleybus fleet is a justificationfor estimating a shorter life of around 16 years. GWRC has now accepted that theoperating life of the trolleybus vehicles could take them through to around 2024. “In this respect, it was misleading to suggest that the current trolleybus fleet was “life expired,” he said.

Mr Flinn says an independent senior electrical engineer with extensive experience of direct current traction systems has identified that the power supply and overhead lines systems could be upgraded and continued for the remaining life of the trolleybuses at an annual cost a little above the recent annual costs of the overhead system alone. GWRC reported that $50 million would be needed to replace the whole traction power supply system as the present system could only be used for the “medium term”.

GWRC have not followed up on an independent report to investigate whether the supply could practically be extended to match the life of the trolleybuses and allow deferral of expenditure of at least $30M on the new buses and $10M on overhead lines removal.

“If you are making multi-million dollar decisions about bus replacements, a proper review should have been sought.”

Mr Flinn says that battery-electric bus technology is still developing and that it is too early yet to invest in them. Retaining the trolleybuses should be a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly low pollution alternative to the diesel-electric hybrid vehicles being purchased as an interim measure.

The report is also critical of initiatives such as the proposed early introduction of double-decker buses on some key routes.

Mr Flinn has also examined many of the proposed route and service changes. Several proposed changes to services require passengers to change buses and wait for a connecting service. The review suggestions are aimed at reducing the need for passengers to change buses with time saving benefits for them.

He concludes that, if the route and service changes are introduced as planned, passenger approval ratings are likely to fall significantly, fare revenue may fall and costs will increase, with the result that ratepayers may have to provide more funding.

Congestion Free Wellington held its first public meeting on 25th May with strong support for its Declaration. The meeting also showed strong support for the extension of our 100% clean and zero emission trolley buses on the east/west route at least until 2025, or when light rail should be commissioned.

The Sustainable Transport Committee on 21st March heard our request that a Business Case be carried out for Wellington’s trolley bus network, as the Council had at no time during the process, done this. The petition was supported by the Civic Trust, Sustainable Energy Forum, Living Streets Aotearoa, FIT, Save the Basin, OraTaiao and Dr Susan Krumdieck.

Despite discussion and some Councillor support, the response through the Chief Executive was to reaffirm the decision to not renew the trolley contracts on 30 June, apart from short-term extensions to aid transition to a new fleet.

The apparent lack of any rigorous analysis/business case for trolley is a scandal according to other commentators such as Glen Smith, in response to a scoop article. The European Trolley Project outlines a straightforward and rigorous way of analysing the cost/benefit of trolley vs diesel, and concludes that, even without existing infrastructure, trolley is cheaper than diesel if a route has buses more than every 5 minutes, which the Golden Mile in Wellington certainly does.

We are deeply saddened by Council’s unwillingness to assess objectively the value of Trolley Buses, and also the lack of transparency by the Chair maintaining progress towards a low emission fleet.

GWRC publicly stated goal is an all-electric bus fleet. It follows that the council make an objective assessment of the trolley buses contribution to city transport needs and environmental impact.

More than 300 cities around world are operating and expanding trolley bus networks. They are more popular because they are clean, quiet and quick. Lyon, France has new trolley buses, San Francisco and Seattle have large trolley systems and Beijing and Shanghai Beijing are coverting failed battery buses to trolleys. Other cities such as Zurich and Istanbul, are building trolley buses with new technical developments to improve trolley bus performance.

The proposed Wrightspeed hybrid replacement of the trolley buses by NZBus utilising a gas turbo (diesel) motor also appears to be in trouble. Cr Daran Ponter said that it was unclear why the delays had occurred, and the patience of some councillors was wearing thin.

Keith Flinders made a good point when he said “ Wrightspeed is hybrid technology and after 12 months since the first trolley bus conversion started it hasn’t been on trial yet. One might conclude that the GWRC is being misled on the suitability for this technology given Wellington’s terrain, and alas GWRC officers don’t have the engineering knowledge to decide either way”.

The decommissioning of the Trolley Bus overhead electrical network is scheduled to commence in November 2017 with a planned completion date 12 months later.

A letter to the DomPost picked up on the point that Wellington may come to be remembered as the only city to close down a trolleybus system after the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Scoop looked at what the new tender documents might mean.“When you look at last week’s announcements about new bus contracts, the Tranzit plan is described as building 228 new buses, all of them diesel though with Euro 6 certification, the highest global emission (air quality) standard…”

Recent revelations relating to filters installed on vehicles, indicated that in the real world, performance was quite different to “in factory”. Euro 5 and especially euro 6 filters are expensive to maintain on diesel buses, and the temptation will be to not renew so that their effectiveness will diminish over time. Euro 6 standards are still unable to remove the very small 2.5 micron particles which are responsible for cancers and respiratory disease leading to the WMO classifying diesel as a class one toxic carcinogenic equal to asbestos. GWRC rejected our proposal for spot air quality tests in bus contracts. Thus there will be a jump in both greenhouse emissions and in particulates with more diesels on the golden mile.

Trolley buses are quiet, have higher passenger capacity and the existing low floor chassis are well liked by mothers with buggies, the elderly and disabled. Most importantly, they are zero emission vehicles.

Given that Piatra Neamt in Romania reversed their closure decision in April this year after political troubles and protests and other cities of similar size such as Cagliari are introducing modern Solaris T12 trolley buses with much fanfare, Greater Wellington Regional Council should take head, and have a proper look at the Business Case for expanding and modernising the present trolley fleet.

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